Paper's Ex-publisher To Work For Leesburg

Jim Perry From The Daily Commercial Will Serve As Assistant City Manager.

August 26, 2004|By Etan Horowitz, Sentinel Staff Writer

LEESBURG -- Jim Perry, the former publisher of The Daily Commercial of Leesburg, has been hired as assistant city manager, City Manager Ron Stock said.

Perry, 55, had served as publisher of the Commercial since 1995 and lost his job in July when the paper was sold to the newly formed HarborPoint Media LLC. He began working Monday and will be paid a salary of $75,000, plus a car allowance.

"This is my first job outside of the private sector, but I've worked very closely to all the municipalities in Lake County, so I know all of the players," Perry said. "My No. 1 love is Leesburg and Lake County, so I was very happy to be able to stay in the area. This kind of fell into my lap."

The position was not being advertised.

Perry's hiring is the latest of several management moves sparked by the resignation of former Deputy City Manager Robert Johnson in June. After Johnson left, Lora Bailey, the city's public-works director, was made interim deputy city manager while a search was conducted. Ed Smyth, the assistant city manager, was made interim public-works director.

On Friday, four candidates, including Bailey, will be interviewed for the deputy city manager position. Stock said a new deputy could be hired by the end of the month.

At Stock's encouragement, Perry had applied for the deputy city manager position, which has a salary range of $70,907 to $104,312, but was not named a finalist because he did not have enough experience, Stock said.

Perry said he was then offered the assistant city manager's job, although it had not been advertised.

The deputy city manager and the assistant city manager report to Stock. However, the deputy city manager has more authority and responsibility than the assistant city manager.

"The deputy is the No. 2 in command, while the assistant handles special projects and is off to the side," Stock said. "The assistant doesn't have any authority to give orders to any department head."

If Bailey is hired as deputy city manager, Smyth will likely become the permanent public-works director, Stock said. However, he stressed that all four candidates will be given equal consideration, and if Bailey is not hired, she likely would return to her role as public-works director. He said he had several other positions where he could place Smyth.

"My preference is to always advertise every position, but here I am trying to take advantage of one individual's unique skills," Stock said. "I'm trying to combine some jobs and trying to eliminate a position in my office."

Stock said he did not consider Perry a personal friend, but he said the two had worked together on various civic and community organizations while Perry was publisher of the Commercial. He said he had complained to Perry several times that the Commercial was not covering the city fairly.

Stock said he was not concerned that Perry had no government experience because the assistant city manager is "not part of the chain of command, and he will never be called upon to make a decision where he is out of his element."

Stock said he would have preferred to wait until after a new deputy city manager was hired before bringing Perry aboard, but he worried that if he waited any longer he might lose him to another position.

Perry's job also will involve handling the city's marketing, media relations and special projects, as well as lobbying legislators in Tallahassee on the city's behalf. Previously, the city had paid a lawyer to lobby on their behalf and also employed a public-information officer.

In March, Marilyn Davenport, who was the city's public-information officer, quit after she had been promoted to a full-time position. In January, Davenport angered some members of the black community after she began publicizing a "Celebrity Slave Auction" to raise money for a local event. Davenport later apologized and canceled the event.

City Commissioner Ben Perry said that although he favors eliminating the assistant city manager position, he is glad Stock is saving money by having Jim Perry handle lobbying and media relations.